College starting new maritime program to meet growing need

Published 7:00 pm, Friday, April 30, 2010

San Jacinto College (SJC) is expanding its International Business and Logistics (IBUS) training with the introduction of a new maritime program.

The new program will offer classes at the North campus beginning in the Fall 2010 term, which begins Aug. 24. Registration for the Fall semester is currently open. Two maritime course options will be available — a one-year occupational certificate option, and a two-year associate degree plan.

The College is launching the maritime program due to high demand for maritime employees. “According to the industry, there are not enough qualified applicants entering into the maritime employment pool, and there is an urgent need for younger, educated applicants,” commented Phillip Cohen, IBUS instructor at the North campus. “The maritime industry is facing the same retiring boomer generation other industries are facing and it needs a new educated workforce pipeline.”

The Port of Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal is expected to increase the need for these trained maritime workers. “Bayport will play a vital role in the growth of the Port of Houston because 90 percent of all cargo arriving in Houston is transported by container ships,” Cohen remarked. “And with the expansion of the Panama Canal, larger ships with increased cargo capacity will utilize the Port of Houston and the new container terminal.”

Graduates of the College’s new maritime program will acquire relevant knowledge to prepare them for work in technical port and business operations within the maritime industry including port and shipping logistics, warehousing/storage/transportation (both land and sea), distribution, import and export operations, port and terminal operations, cargo handling, security, and maritime management.

San Jacinto College is collaborating with the Port of Houston service companies to set up internship programs to provide students with work opportunities while attending classes in order to gain valuable hands-on experience in maritime jobs.

For more information about San Jacinto College, visit www.sanjac.edu or call 281-998-6150.